Electrfc-rallway-crossing signal



(N0 Mode1.)-

M. J. OSULLIVAN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY GROSSINGSIGNAL.

No. 514,566. Patented Feb. 13., 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT fission.

MICHAEL J. OSULLIVAN,' OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC-RA!LWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,566, dated February13, 1894.

Application filed May 22, 1893- $erial No. 475,185. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be-it known that 1, MICHAEL J. OSULLI- VAN, of Baltimore, Maryland, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Railway- Signals; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device whereby when a trainis approaching a railway or wagon road crossing a signal such as awaving flag or arms and an electric light is displayed and an alarmsounded at said crossing and the signal continues so long as an electriccircuit remains closed. I accomplish this object by mechanismillustrated in accompanying drawings-in which Figure 1 represents aperspective view of my invention complete; Fig. 2 an opposite side ofpost and arms; Fig. 3 a view of a different form of waving signal. Figs.4 and 5 are still another modification.

The signal system consists of mainly a post A. upon which is pivoted awheel B at its lower end. Atits upper end is pivoted paddles G G asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

D is a rod pivotally attached at its upper end to the arms of thepaddles O G and allowed to play in slots 0' c. On this post oppositefrom the side upon which the wheel is secured, is a bell E.

F is a pawl secured to the axis of the wheel B.

J is the shank of the bell clapper acted upon by thepawl F andspringf'in usual manner. G is an electric motor and H is an electric lamp.

J, is an electro magnet. Passing from magnet J to the rails K of arailroad track which are properly insulated is an electric circuit 1 andlocal battery 2 and from the post 9 of magnet J runs a wire 3 to astorage battery 5, thence to the motor G. A branch 78 runs.

from, circuit 3 to the light H and a circuit 4 runs from said motor backto magnet .I and secured thereto by post 10.

The operation is as follows: When a train is approaching a crossing andabout two thousand feet therefrom it passes upon a section of track ofwhich the rails thereof are electrically insulated andconnectedfrom thispoint to said crossing. In passing magnetJ at this point the electriccircuitl the terminals of which arein electrical contact with theopposite track rails is closed through the wheels and axles of thetrain. This energizes magnet J which attracts armature 11 which in turncontacts with post 10. This closes circuit 3 and 4 and the battery 5(preferablya storage battery) being of sufficient power causes the lightII to become incandescent and motor G to operate. A pulley g is securedto'the armature of said motor, which upon being revolved causes wheel Bto revolve through belt 72. Upon the revolution of wheel B pawl Frevolves which action rings the bell E by striking the clapper extensionAt the same time the rod D is caused to reciprocate vertically and thisin turn causes the paddles O to swing vertically thus giving prolongedwarning of the approach of a train. It is understood of course thatafter the train shall have passed ofi of the rails of the track that areinsulated and electrically connected the local circuit is broken whichde-energizes magnet J. The armature H therefore rises breaking thecircuit 3-4 which causes the light to become extinguished, the motor tostop and the signal to become at rest.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of the waving mechanism. Insteadof the paddles C I provide an additional post L. Pivoted to the upperend of this post is a flag pole M, weighted at N, pivoted at on weight Nis a rod 0 which at its other end is secured to one of the spokes ofwheel B. \Vhen said wheel B revolves by action of motor G it causes rod0 to reciprocate horizontally thereby causing arm M and weight N toswing to and fro and wave the flag R.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show afurther modification which is used principallyfor night service. It consists of a post T with horizontal arms itextending from the upper and lower ends respectively. From the remoteend of arm I. the electric lamp His suspended. Pivoted to the end of thearm 15' is a rod X. At the upper end of this rod are secured rigidly twovertical paddles C, spaced sufficiently to allow lamp H' to restnormally therebetween. In each paddle is placed a colored glass W nearthe lower end a weight N. The manner of producing an oscillating motiongiven the paddles difiers somewhat from that shown in Fig. 2 in that acrank S is secured to the armature of the motor G in lieu of a pulleywheel, as the motor is operated the crank turns, the end of rod Xbeneath weight N is struck thereby, thus causing the paddles G to swingto and fro and thereby displaying alternately a red and white light. Thewhole mechanism above described is housed in a suitable box at thecrossing but to enable a clear understanding it is here shown inseparate parts. The only parts being exposed outside the box being thepaddles or flag, the lamp and the bell. 1

The motor may be wound for slow speed. I do not wish to limit myself toany particular local circuit closing mechanism nor to battery lamp ormotor; the form here shown being preferred.

Having described'my invention, what I do claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. A railway crossing signal comprising suitable track connections and acircuit containing a motor, a post or upright to which is connected alamp, a gong and a vibratory arm or arms, mechanical connections betweenthe motor and the arm and bell whereby the arm and bell are operated togive the danger signal both by sight and sound and the circuitconnections with track being such that the neotions and the other asuitable motor for operating such arms or paddles and bell and suitableconnections whereby when the train is in the section where the crossingsignal is located the arms will be vibrated and the gong soundedcontinuously substantially as described.

3. A railway crossing signal consisting of a local circuit adapted to beclosed by the passage of a train,a second circuit controlled by thefirst circuit and containing a suitable motor mechanism, a vibratingsignal arm operated by such motor mechanism, abell or alarm mounted onthe support to which the signal arm is attached, a lamp mounted on suchsupport and suitable connections whereby the signal arm is keptcontinuously vibrating and the bell kept ringing so long as the train ison the protected section of the track, substantially as described.

MICHAEL J. OSULLIVAN. Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. NORMAN, ROBT. E. KING.

